Although he attempted to separate out the injuries that afflicted his squad, the loss of form of some players and also the disruption caused by the sudden sacking of his assistant, Ray Wilkins, it is clear now that all those issues have converged.

Results were already slipping, resources already stretched, before Wilkins was fired but having then made his unhappiness over that brutal decision known, one taken out of his hands and without his approval, Ancelotti is wise enough to be aware that it has, in the context of the downward spiral of the team’s performances, hugely increased the pressure on him.

He also knows that Chelsea, despite his success last season, do not owe him any favours. That’s football.

More importantly, this is all, of course, taking part amid a backdrop that the Italian may himself have fallen a little out of love with his job and may, in fact, be contemplating a future elsewhere at the end of this campaign.

He has one more year left on his contract after this season but does he have the stomach for owner interference?

The word out of Stamford Bridge on Thursday was that there were no plans to replace Ancelotti and that there was a belief that results would improve and that, crucially, he needs to settle down and re-focus his own job.

Given the fixture load this month — Tottenham, Manchester United, Arsenal and then, two days later, Aston Villa — it is nevertheless a rapid sequence that will make or break a campaign and maybe the manager’s legacy.

His faith in the young players introduced into the squad is admirable and while there are howls of derision over the performances of the Brazilian Ramires, he was a player Ancelotti wanted and who he still feels will come good.

Likewise Yuri Zhirkov. The perceived wisdom is that he was a Roman Abramovich signing but that is not the case.

The Russian is admired by Ancelotti who, also, during the summer told the club’s hierarchy that he did not feel the need to pursue a big-money signing such as Fernando Torres.

Not yet at least. It was decided that Chelsea could get two more years out of Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka.

Ancelotti’s plan was simple but bold. He would sanction the departure of older, highly paid players and blood the kids from the academy.

It was a policy the club were keen to pursue and here was the man to do it.

He would make room for the likes of Josh McEachran and Patrick van Aanholt in the belief that they would flourish if they were closer to the first team and he would rely on a smaller squad but one with high-quality, multi-functional players such as the returning Michael Essien, Branislav Ivanovic — who he rates highly — and Anelka.

Fewer players also made the squad easier to manage.

It was a brave approach and one that Ancelotti, who regards himself as a coach above all, had craved at AC Milan but was denied by the owner Silvio Berlusconi who was less interested than Abramovich in youth development.

Except Ancelotti has found out that Abramovich is even more interventionist and, possibly, random than the media tycoon.

He signed Yossi Benayoun — 30 years old and not fitting the profile of the player Ancelotti wanted — and pushed for the promotion of Michael Emenalo.

There was even talk within Chelsea that the lowly qualified Nigerian coach might be in line to succeed Frank Arnesen as the club’s sporting director when he leaves next year.

Given the strong bond, a partnership, between Ancelotti and Arnesen, then the former’s planned departure will nevertheless unsettle the manager even further especially if he is replaced by another high-profile director of football.

It’s believed, however, that Chelsea might not replace Arnesen at all or may wait to see what happens with Ancelotti.

It’s undoubtedly a curious state of affairs given that the manager appeared the perfect fit for the club and vice versa. But things do tend to unravel quickly at Chelsea as, once more, is being proved.